


I See You

by Eipos



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Childhood Friends, Depression, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Oblivious Scott McCall (Teen Wolf), Scott is a Good Friend
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-13
Updated: 2019-04-13
Packaged: 2020-01-12 17:03:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18450860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eipos/pseuds/Eipos
Summary: Scott likes to think he's observant. Not the brightest, but still observant. So when Stiles starts to fall into pieces, Scott is there to help him. There to provide everything Stiles needs and Stiles deserves... everything.They're friends after all. Closer even. Brothers. Or... more?





	I See You

Scott knows that he isn’t the brightest. He has been described as naive, simple-minded and too optimistic and… well, it is true. He doesn’t like to think himself into circles, worrying about things he has no control over. He prefers to take the negative things that happen to him as a lesson, so that he can do better next time. So he smiles and laughs and he always focuses the bright side of things, even when the light seems very thin.

This is exactly what he did when he broke his leg at eight. Exactly what he did when his dad slapped him in a haze of alcohol. Exactly what he did when his parents divorced. Exactly what he did when his mother started working more so that she could provide enough for the both of them, leaving him alone in a big house.

People think he’s stupid or just slow. They give him pitying stares when they think he can’t see them. They sometimes even laugh at him or just look at him in confusion, not able to understand how he can’t seem to show any negative emotion.

Scott doesn’t think he’s stupid or slow. Sure, his grades aren’t the greatest and he sometimes has a hard time grasping the reason behind why someone is feeling down. But as he grows up, he’s able to observe people and understand that, well, everyone is different. Everyone has their way of thinking and feeling and he just… doesn’t fit in the norm.

So he observes. His favorite subject is, of course, his best friend, Stiles. Stiles, because he’s close to him, yes, but also because the teen is  _ fascinating _ . Scott and Stiles are very different despite their shared interests. In fact, Scott is as optimistic as Stiles is pessimistic. Not in a too intense way. It’s just that Stiles… Stiles likes to know all the facts before he actually makes a decision and he’ll stop himself from doing what he wants too easily. He’ll see the bad sides and get discouraged too easily. But Stiles can just easily ignore all the facts when he has a clear goal in mind, defying all logic, and he actually gets what he wants, against all odds.

It’s completely contradictory and Scott is fascinated. Stiles is super smart, but he can barely listen in class. He’s a clumsy, twitchy mess, but if Scott talks to him, Stiles will stop moving, completely focused on his friend. Stiles keeps forgetting important dates, always surprised to find that Christmas is almost here, but he never forgets Scott’s birthday.

Stiles is like a rough diamond, with many facets of different sizes and Scott is mesmerized, unable to look away.

So he notices when Stiles isn’t doing well. Like when Stiles receives a bad grade or when he has been grounded by his parents. Or when he gets the guts to finally ask Lydia out, only to be turned down.

Scott is always there to comfort Stiles and Stiles… he’s actually grateful for Scott’s optimism.

When they’re fourteen and Stiles’ mother dies in a car accident however, there isn’t enough optimism in the world to make Stiles happy again. For a few months, Stiles barely even talks. So Scott decides that he can talk for the both of them. And when he notices that Stiles has developed the tendency to hug his middle, like he’s the most lonely person in the world, well, Scott starts touching his friend as much as he can, not caring what they look like to the rest of the world. It becomes normal for them to grab the other’s fingers to ask for attention. It becomes normal for Scott to have his arm over Stiles’ shoulders as they walk in the corridors of their school. It becomes normal for them to hug, just for the heck of it.

Of course, Stiles is completely confused at first. He even freezes and looks around them, especially at school, like he’s a bit embarrassed. But he always lets Scott touch him and, after a few weeks, he even melts under the attention.

People ask questions, of course. Like Lydia, Jackson, Danny, Allison and Erica. Stiles looks like a deer in front of a speeding car, so Scott always answers.

“Stiles is my brother,” he affirms. “I’m there for him.”

And that is that.

Except it’s not. Two years later, Stiles still doesn’t seem to have gotten over his mother’s death. Of course, Stiles is better, as in, he talks more and he smiles and laughs. But Scott is pretty sure that half of those reactions is an act. Scott doesn’t want to push, because he doesn’t know what it feels like to lose your mother and he also knows that they’re different, that Stiles copes in different ways than he does. But two years… two years is a long time.

Scott decides that it’s time to shake things up. Maybe a change in their interactions is what Stiles needs, just like he needed Scott to be close two years ago. Maybe it’s time to see if Stiles is ready to walk on his own.

This… brings disaster. Scott didn’t expect that. Like, at all. To change their interactions, he decides that he should try to slowly stop touching Stiles as much. At first, he stops grasping Stiles fingers to gain his attention. Instead, he pokes Stiles in the shoulder and doesn’t let his hand linger like he usually would. Stiles doesn’t seem to notice at first and Scott takes that as a good sign.

After a few days, he decides to stop putting his arm around Stiles shoulders as they walk. Since they’re both late that morning to school, they don’t actually have time to interact much. So Stiles leaves for his chemistry class and Scott runs to math. An hour later, Stiles exits his chemistry class with a smile on his face when he sees that Scott is already waiting for him. He walks to his friend and gets close, like he always do, waiting for the weight of Scott’s arm on his shoulders, but it never comes.

Scott is nervous. His arm twitches, wanting to take its familiar place, but he resists. Instead, he simply puts his hand on the small of Stiles back, just long enough to propulse his friend as they head to their next class. Once he drops his hand, Stiles turns and looks sharply at him, confusion and hurt clear on his face. Scott didn’t expect to see hurt on Stiles’ face. Confusion and surprise, yes. So he hesitates. Should he continue with his plan? Should he just fall into their usual pattern? He gets the horrible idea that Stiles isn’t ready at all for this change in their relationship and Scott hates himself a little bit in that moment.

“I… I thought...” Stiles says, his voice shaky.

Scott frowns, not liking how fragile Stiles seems to be right now. He tries to put his arm around Stiles’ shoulders, like he always does, but there’s a tension in the air and he feels very awkward. He feels even worse when Stiles sidesteps him. Stiles won’t even look him in the face and Scott has this terrible impression that Stiles’ eyes are a bit too shiny.

“Stiles,” Scott croaks, feeling like a utter moron and he isn’t even sure what’s happening here.

“Nah,” Stiles says, his voice harder and colder than her ever heard it. “I’m sorry. I just assumed things. Bye.”

Stiles walks away from him. Other classmates are around them and some have noticed their little spat. Jackson actually smiles in a mean way and makes sure to be heard over everyone.

“Yo! Stilinski! Problems in heaven?”

Scott winces. He doesn’t know how often he has had to repeat to everyone that Stiles is just his friend, his brother. Right now really isn’t the time for Jackson to be a jackass. But then Stiles turns and heads to Jackson. He actually pushes the bully, surprising Jackson, as he glares.

“Shut the fuck up Jackson!” he shouts, his voice low and strangled, his words barely recognisable.

Silence falls and Stiles walks away. And Scott, well, he’s so surprised that he can’t move. His eyes follow Stiles until they can’t anymore. Scott only moves once he hears the bell ring.

***

Scott enters his home feeling like the biggest jerk in the entire universe. He didn’t want to make Stiles feel bad to the point that the teen skipped the rest of the day. Or the rest of the week, actually.

After their talk in the hallway, Scott was determined to find Stiles after school to talk. But the teen wouldn’t answer his phone or the door to his house. And Scott is sure that Stiles changed his work schedule because when Scott went to the supermarket, he couldn’t find Stiles. Though, in all reality, having this talk at Stiles’ job isn’t a good idea.

Scott sighs, not sure what he should do at this point. He slumps against the front door and lets his backpack fall to the floor before burying his head in his hands. He doesn’t remember feeling this out of his depth in… ever.

That is where his mother finds him, a concerned frown on her face. “Scott?” she asks softly as she advances towards her son. “What’s going on? Are you okay?”

Scott lets his hands fall, sighing again. Melissa immediately grows even more concerned at her son’s expression. She puts her hands on Scott’s shoulders to try and lend him some strength. “What happened?” she asks.

Scott sniffles, feeling like he’s a bit too close to breaking down. He takes a few seconds to calm down before clearing his throat. “Um. Stiles…”

Melissa’s face contorts in pain and understanding and she breathes out. “Oh no… He didn’t break-up with you, did he?”

Scott frowns in confusion. “Uh, what? Mom! We’re not together. How many times do I have to tell you?”

Any sympathy Melissa felt melts away at the ignorance of her son. She knows he can be oblivious sometimes and she thought he wasn’t ready to tell her he was gay, but… this is ridiculous. “Scott McCall,” she says in her most serious voice. “How oblivious can you be?”

Scott is about to retort because, damn it, he isn’t stupid! But then he thinks back to all the times he has touched Stiles. All the times he invited Stiles over and how they would always end up cuddling. There hasn’t been any space between them for the last two years. Too close. Always too close. And Stiles, saying ‘I thought…’.

“Oh…” he says, bewildered.

Melissa nods, as if in understanding. “Now. What did you do?”

Scott feels a bit irked that his mom assumes that he did something, but… he kind of did. Unsure how he’s supposed to process this new information, he simply answers her. “Um, well… Stiles… I don’t know. He doesn’t seem to be going well? Ever since his mom died. And I thought he needed someone close, but it’s been two years. So… if being close didn’t seem to help…”

Melissa shakes her head, a bit exasperated. “You thought you had to distance yourself.”

Well. When it’s put like that. It really does sound stupid. Scott cringes, understanding how wrong he was. “Yeah… I really shouldn’t have done that. He got really upset and he hasn’t been to school since. I’m really worried…”

“Oh, Scott,” Melissa murmurs as she hugs her son. She runs her hand on his back, trying to comfort him. “Have you tried to contact him?”

“Yeah,” Scott admits against the curls of his mother. “But he hasn’t answered his phone or the door.” And damn if that doesn’t make him anxious.

“In that case,” Melissa says as she leans away from the hug to face her son. “You should try again tomorrow. It’s the weekend, so maybe Stiles’ father is going to answer the door.”

“Yeah,” Scott agrees. He quickly swipes his hand over his eyes, catching a few tears. “Yeah, I’ll do that.”

He bends to retrieve his backpack and he’s about to climb the stairs and head to his room, but his mother stops him by calling his name. “What?”

Melissa has this expression on her face that indicates she knows more than Scott over what’s happening. “If you want to mend your relationship with Stiles… you better take the time to understand what kind of relationship you actually want. Don’t go in blind tomorrow is what I’m saying. Understood?”

Scott would normally be a bit insulted when his mother is like that. But in this instance, he simply stops for a second, taking in what she just said. And the more he thinks, the more he’s able to grasp how right his mom is. So he nods. “Okay, yeah, understood. Thanks, mom.”

Melissa smiles at him.

***

That night, Scott barely even sleeps. He keeps thinking of Stiles and what he wants to be to his friend. He sees Stiles like… like a brother. Friend is too small a word. He knows that they have a deep bond and he feels a lot of affection for the teen. How could he not? Stiles is the only one that seems to like him in high school and he’s funny, smart, interesting, and he never makes Scott feel like he’s dumb, unlike a lot of people.

Scott feels safe and appreciated when he’s with Stiles. He feels like he can fully express himself, like… like he can stand straighter. Like he can be strong. Like he can be important to someone. To Stiles.

In all honesty, he feels like they’re a match. He always knew they clicked together. But to what extent?

After tossing and turning for a few hours, he comes to the conclusion that, emotionally, he is really invested in Stiles. He can’t imagine not having Stiles with him. When he tries to, there’s this ball of anxiety stuck in his throat and a heavy pressure on his chest. He  _ wants _ to be with Stiles. He wants them to live together, to stay close…

So that brings him to the more physical aspect. He… doesn’t have a problem touching Stiles. Like… a hug and stuff like that. But what about sex? Is he even able to get turned on by a guy? Sure, at this point, he’s able to admit that he has had to stop himself from kissing Stiles a few times. But like… two or three times. Like this time where they were cuddling in his bed, Stiles the little spoon, and Scott got the sudden urge to kiss Stiles’ neck since it was so close. But… but sex?

That is how Scott ends up watching gay porn at two in the morning. He wants to see if the act of two men together actually interests him and, well, he wants to see how it works too. He has a general idea, but he just wants to be sure.

So Scott opens his laptop and brings it with him to bed. He quickly finds a video, the first gay porno that turns up, really, and he watches. The video is clearly amateur, filmed most probably with a cell phone camera. The image isn’t that great, but the view is… it’s kind of hot. There’s a man in the video, all tied up and blindfolded as he lies on his back, and he’s very hard. Scott can see his ribcage moving, expanding with every breath. The image is certainly sensual. That’s when the man behind the camera brings his hand forward to lightly tease the tied man’s cock, pumping his hand up and down in a very loose hold.

The tied man’s breath clearly stutters and he tilts his pelvis up, trying to get more friction, frustrated when he doesn’t get what he wants. At this, Scott has to swallow, more turned on than he thought he could get. Without really thinking about it, his own hand finds itself in his boxer as he starts jerking off.

It really doesn’t take a long time before Scott reaches his peak and he’s kind of embarrassed about that. Especially over a video that didn’t even last a full minute and where there wasn’t even penetrative sex. But… well, point proven, right? He’s pretty sure he would be alright with having sex with Stiles. And the more he thinks about it… The more he kind of wants it to happen.

But he knows Stiles and he… he’s pretty sure he loves him too, so… he wants their first time, if it ever happens that is, to be good and he wants to know what the fuck he’s supposed to do. He’s tempted to watch other videos to see how it’s done, but he remembers having this conversation with Stiles about how porn isn’t a good source of information. It’s a show, it’s entertainment. If he needs to know some stuff, he has to read. So, no matter how much he doesn’t really like reading, he does what he knows Stiles would want him to do.

He goes through a few websites, gathering pretty much the same info over and over again, which he knows is a good sign and he only stops his research around four in the morning, too tired to continue.

***

Scott is a nervous wreck. He’s in front of Stiles’ front door, just waiting to gather his courage and knock on the damn thing. But he keeps doubting himself. Should he have brought, like, flowers or something? He doesn’t  _ think _ so… At any rate, it would make him way too shy about this, though it really would be romantic.

What really scares him though is Stiles reaction. What if Stiles doesn’t want anything to do with Scott? What if Scott read the whole thing wrong?

He won’t know if he doesn’t see Stiles. So he gathers his courage and he finally knocks on the door. He hears some noise from inside, indicating that there’s someone. Scott looks into the driveway, making sure that Mr. Stilinski’s car is there, though he already knows it’s there.

The door opens and Scott jumps, surprised, before turning. He recognises Stiles’ dad and is about to say hi when he notices that the man’s eyes are bloodshot. He also quickly notices that Mr. Stilinski’s hair are greasy, his beard unkept and he keeps squinting, like his head hurts.

Scott would think that the man is sick or something, but the bottle of whisky the man holds tells a different story. Scott is struck dumb. He can’t believe Mr. Stilinski is… drunk. The man is drunk. At forty past eleven in the freaking morning. Suddenly, Scott gets the impression that Stiles is in way more distress than he previously thought. He now understands why he hasn’t been invited over when Mr. Stilinski is at home. He now understands why Stiles has had a hard time smiling and just… being happy.

Why didn’t he ever notice before now that something must be wrong at home?

Scott thinks about drowning in his own guilt and self-hatred for a solid second. But then he knows that he needs to be there for Stiles, more than ever, and they need to talk to set a few things straight.

So he smiles as best as he can. “Hi, Mr. Stilinski. Is Stiles here?”

Mr. Stilinski blinks slowly, like he has a hard time understanding what Scott just said. But then he takes an unsteady step back, letting Scott in. He closes the door behind the teen and turns to walk further into the house. “He’s in the kitchen,” Mr. Stilinski mumbles, pointing at the direction to the room.

Scott takes a moment to watch as Mr. Stilinski makes his way to the living room, worried. He notices that, though the man in stumbling, he doesn’t bump into anything. Scott takes a deep breath, knowing that he needs to focus on one problem at a time. He’ll come back to Mr. Stilinski later.

Resolute, Scott leaves the hallway and enters the kitchen to find Stiles over the stove as he pours pasta in a cauldron of boiling water. As Scott enters, Stiles turns his head, curious, and freezes when he sees his friend. He then casts an embarrassed look in the direction of the living room before facing Scott once more.

“W-what are you doing here?” Stiles asks nervously as he closes the box of pasta.

Scott takes a step closer. “I wanted to apologize.”

Stiles scoffs. He walks to the cupboard and throws the box of pasta in before slamming the cupboard shut. “You don’t have to apologize. I was the one making assumptions. I’m sorry you had to endure me.”

Scott can’t stand the distance between the two of them and so he walks to Stiles and takes hold of his friend’s elbow to make sure that Stiles isn’t going to escape him. “I didn’t have to endure you,” Scott says softly because, damn, they’re friends, of course he doesn’t have to endure Stiles! “I’m the one that started touching you.”

Stiles doesn’t look up, his eyes fixed on Scott’s chest. He frowns, unhappy. “Yeah. And I’m the one that had to turn everything into something it wasn’t. Look, you don’t have to be all kind about it. I’ll get over it. Over you.”

At those words, Scott feels hurt, but he knows Stiles is saying that because he doesn’t know how Scott feels. So with his free hand, he gently grasps Stiles by the back of his neck and brings the teen even closer, their nose almost touching. They’re so close, he hears Stiles’ breath stutter and Scott… well, Scott likes being so near Stiles. He likes how intimate it is, how it’s impossible to ignore how much he wants to kiss his friend.

“I don’t want you to get over me,” Scott admits though this isn’t exactly what he wants to say.

Still. Stiles swallows heavily, his eyes flicking down before coming back up. He clears his throat. “That would be cruel,” Stiles says, though hope is starting to fill him. “You know… in the scenario where you don’t actually ask me out.”

Scott has to smile because he was still a bit scared that Stiles would reject him, but with that last sentence? He’s not scared anymore. “Would you go out with me? Date me?”

Stiles laughs softly though he seems to be close to tears. “I thought we were already sort-of going out. I thought you were just too chicken-shit to go the last few steps.”

Scott winces. Now that he actually took time to think, he realises that he must have been in love with Stiles for… a long time. It just seems so evident. “I’m sorry. I can be…”

“Slow?” Stiles asks, a teasing smile on his lips. “Oblivious? Dense?”

Scott grimaces. He normally doesn’t like being described like that, but in this case, he totally deserved it, because it’s true and Stiles isn’t being mean either. “Yeah…” he admits.

Stiles shakes his head though he’s smiling. “Alright then. I guess we can go out together. Officially this time.”

“Awesome,” Scott murmurs before finally giving into his urge.

He leans forward and catches Stiles’ lips with his own. Stiles sighs and melts against Scott, who is very happy to hug his boyfriend close. The one kiss quickly turns into many kisses and it doesn’t take long before their tongues entangle. Stiles moans softly and the sound makes Scott hard instantly. He grinds against Stiles once before he can think about what he’s doing. He’s about to lean away and apologize, because he doesn’t want to overwhelm Stiles, but his lover grips his shirt and grinds back.

“Oh, shit, Stiles,” Scott whispers helplessly against his boyfriend’s lips.

Stiles smirks and he looks positively lovely. “More?” he asks, almost innocently and it  _ does _ things to Scott.

But before Scott can do anything truly indecent, the timer for the pasta rings and Stiles freezes as he visibly pales. The strong reaction worries Scott. Every thing was going so well and he just doesn’t understand what happened to make Stiles freeze like that.

“Stiles?” he asks.

But Stiles doesn’t seem to want to share his feelings. He simply pushes Scott away and quickly makes his way to the stove. He stops the timer and then he takes the cauldron to the sink where he pours the pasta into a stainer. “You should go.”

The situation seems to have completely changed in a matter of seconds and Scott feels out of his depth. But he does know one thing, and it is that Stiles needs him. “Why should I go?”

Stiles’ shoulders drop and Scott can easily imagine the expression he’s making. “Because… I need to take care of my dad,” he says, his voice strangled. “He needs to eat and then take a shower. After that, I have to do laundry, clean the bathroom and then I need to get to work.”

Scott knows that Stiles isn’t saying everything. He knows his boydriend and he’s sure that Stiles is going to do way more than what he said he would. And it’s already crazy to think that he does all that because his father is too drunk to take care of Stiles like he should.

He has so many questions he wants to ask Stiles. He needs to know how much Mr. Stilinski drinks and how often. He wants to know if Mr. Stilinski is ever violent or if he just… doesn’t care enough about Stiles. But he knows that right now isn’t the moment to ask questions. Right now, Stiles needs a break and Scott is more than happy to provide it.

So he walks to Stiles and takes the cauldron from him, depositing it on the stove before cradling Stiles’ face in his hands. There are dark shadows under Stiles’ eyes, indicating that he hasn’t slept enough.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Scott whispers as he gently runs his thumbs over Stiles’ cheeks. “What we’re going to do is this: you’re going to call work and say that you’re sick, that you can’t come in until tuesday. Then, you’re going to go upstairs and rest while I take care of everything, alright?”

Stiles shakes his head, though he doesn’t try to escape Scott’s hold. “I can’t do that. I need to work, I need the money. And my dad… my dad can’t take care of himself when he’s like that. He needs me.”

Scott doesn’t like the sound of that. He doesn’t like how ingrained that train of thought seems to be in Stiles mind. It’s like Stiles has been doing all of this for a long time. Like he has had to be the pillar for his father when it should have been the other way around. It isn’t really normal either that Stiles started working at fifteen in restaurants, like he needs to support his family… Shit, does he?

“Why do you need the money?” Scott asks, a bit scared of the answer.

Stiles sniffles. “For college.”

At that, Scott feels relieved. “Stiles. You’re sixteen. You still have two years to collect money. Taking a few days off isn’t going to make that much of a difference. Now you’re going to do as I say and not worry about a thing because I’ve got this, alright? I’ll take care of your dad too.”

Stiles’ chin wobbles for a terrible second before the teen buries his face in his hand, crying silently. Scott feels like his heart is torn out of his chest. He quickly brings Stiles into his arms and hugs him tight, hoping his solid body brings comfort and safety to his boyfriend.

Stiles sobs once before hugging Scott too with one arm, his other hand still covering his face. “I’m so embarrassed,” the teen admits, his words distorted from his emotions. “I never… I didn’t want you to see my dad like that.”

“Oh, baby,” Scott says, the endearment slipping out. “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. It’s amazing what you’ve been doing here for the last two years all by yourself, I know you’ve tried to do your best. I just want to help you. Please let me help you.”

Stiles breaks down at those words and Scott lets him cry it out. Stiles is still awfully silent, but it seems to be good for him because, after a while, he leans away from the hug with a shaky smile. “Okay.” Stiles nods as he wipes his tears away with the sleeves of his shirt. “Okay. I’ll… I’ll call my boss and tell her I can’t come in. I think I’m going to take a nap after that.”

“Alright,” Scott tells him. He steals a quick, chaste kiss. “I’ll see you later.”

Stiles smiles, a finger tracing his lips, before he leaves the kitchen. Scott goes back to the the stove, where the pasta is cooling. He opens the jar of spaghetti sauce that’s on the counter and dumps some in the cauldron as he listens to his boyfriend’s steps. It’s only once Scott is sure that Stiles is in his room upstairs that he takes his phone out of his pocket. He quickly dials the number he needs.

“Mom?” Scott asks. “I think you need to come here.”

***

Two hours later, Stiles walks down the stairs into the kitchen and Scott immediately looks up from the reusable bag he’s filling with food.

“Slept well?” he asks.

Stiles blushes a bit before he walks to Scott who engulfs him into a hug. Stiles is still warm from sleeping and Scott can’t help but smile at that.

“Yeah,” Stiles sighs happily. “Thanks. You didn’t have trouble with my dad?”

And that’s when the peaceful moment ends and where Scott has to present what will hopeful be a happy surprise. “Um. So. I’ve actually been really busy when you slept.”

“Oh?” Stiles says as he looks at the bag full of food.

Scott clears his throat. “Uh, yeah. So, like. I called my mom,” he starts, knowing Stiles isn’t going to like that part. He quickly continues when he sees Stiles frown, displeased. “I know she can talk to your dad about getting his life together and about rehab. So that’s what she’s going to do, and she’ll keep an eye on your dad while you and I go away for a bit.”

Stiles doesn’t say anything for a while, too confused to react. He doesn’t lean away from Scott, so that has to be a good sign. “When you say go away…” he finally asks.

“My grandparents are visiting France right now, so their house is free. We’re going to go there, just you and me, for a few days.”

Hope is starting to shine through Stiles’ eyes. “But… what about school?” he asks, always about every little detail.

Scott can’t help himself but to smile as he runs a hand through Stiles’ hair. “We’ll skip Monday and Tuesday. It’s not the end of the world. You’re smart, you’ll get back into in no time. Plus I actually asked Lydia to take notes for you.”

Stiles swallows heavily. The stubborn little shit doesn’t let go yet though. “But what about you? You always have a hard time when you miss a day of class. Your grades…”

Scott fondly shakes his head at his boyfriend. “Stiles… I’m going to be fine. Right now, this is about you. You need a break and I’m more than happy to help  _ you _ for once. Please let me do this for you. We’re going away for a few days and you won’t have to think about laundry or food or anything because I’m going to do all of that for you. And you won’t have to stress about coming back here because mom is going to make damn sure to shake your dad back into reality. And even if mom can’t do much, though I highly doubt that could happen, I’ll still be there for you to help you.”

At that, Stiles eyes fill with water and he slams his hand over his mouth to stifle the sound. He shakes his head, refusing to meet Scott’s gaze. “I just… I don’t want to be useless. I can’t let you do all of this for me. It’s too much!”

Scott sighs as he hugs Stiles closer. Stiles buries his head in the crook of Scott’s neck as he shakes silently. “Baby… You have to know that there’s nothing I’m not willing to do for you. Nothing. You are worth  _ so _ much. I don’t know what I would do if you weren’t there. I love you too much,” Scott admits.

They might not have been going out for long, literally just for a few hours, but he has been wrapped around Stiles’ finger for years and there’s no denying that. He was just… oblivious to his own feelings. “And you have to know… Look. We’re both going to have moments where we aren’t doing too great. Right now, you’re in one of those moments and I want to… I want you to lean on me. I want to be there for you, to… to provide everything you need. And I want to do that, well, because I love you, obviously, but also because I know you would do the same for me. You help everyone around you all the time, why can’t we do the same for you?”

Stiles hugs Scott so tightly, Scott has a hard time breathing. But he doesn’t complain, too happy to do so. Instead, he gives just as good as he’s getting.

“Thank you,” Stiles whispers. “Thank you so much…”

“You’re welcome,” Scott says back. “So I guess that means you’ll go pack some clothes?”

Stiles leans away from the hug with the biggest smile on his lips. His face is so open and luminous… It takes Scott’s breath away. He missed seeing Stiles like that.

“Yeah! I’ll do that real quick!”

And just like that, Stiles walks out of the room, a skip in his steps.

Scott watches him, feeling warm all over. He only notices his mom walking in when she stands directly beside him. “So?” she asks him.

“All good,” Scott assures her with a grin. “He really needed that.”

“It’s a good idea you had,” Melissa praises him. She gives him a side-hug before walking away. “Have fun!” she calls back.

“We will,” Scott says even though he isn’t sure his mom hears him. “We will.”


End file.
